JOLIET, Ill. – Friday at Chicagoland Speedway began as being all about Front Row for Penske Racing.

It ended being all about the front row, too.

Embroiled in a firestorm with Front Row Motorsports that resulted in both teams on probation until Dec. 31 (despite NASCAR finding no proof of wrongdoing) and Jeff Gordon added to the Chase for the Sprint Cup as an unprecedented 13th driver, Penske swept the top two spots in Sprint Cup qualifying for Sunday's Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Leading the way on the pole position with a track-record 189.414-mph lap was Joey Logano, whose No. 22 Ford was caught in controversy this week when the radio communications of Front Row driver David Gilliland indicated the team might have negotiated with Penske about yielding a spot on the track Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

There was speculation that NASCAR also might decide to begin the 10-race title playoff without Logano, who finished one point ahead of Gordon for the 10th and final Chase-eligible spot.

Logano, though, said he wasn't worried that the first Chase bid of his five-season career in NASCAR's premier series was in jeopardy.

Joey Logano, then 18, at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 2, 2009. Joe Gibbs Racing announced Logano would drive the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup Series in fall of 2008.
Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Sports

Joey Logano celebrates after winning his second Sprint Cup series race, the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway. He became the first driver in 30 races to win from the pole position.
Jerome Miron, USA TODAY Sports

In 2008, Joey Logano became the youngest Nationwide Series winner in history. Here he can be seen doing a burnout after his NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250 win at Michigan International Speedway on June 16, 2012, in Brooklyn, Mich.
Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images

Crew members hold back Joey Logano after he and Tony Stewart exchanged punches after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 24 in Fontana, Calif.
Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images

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"It didn't impact my preparations at all; we stayed focused on doing what we needed to do," he said. "I felt like I did a good job being able to stay focused. There wasn't any worry in my mind that we weren't going to be in the Chase. I felt like we deserved to be here."

He had to ignore lots of fans suggesting that he shouldn't be, though.

"I realize there are a lot of people on Twitter that are really mean," he said. "I've read enough of it, and I thought, 'Wow, this Joey Logano guy's a real jerk,' and I realized maybe I'm not. So, hopefully, this helps prove them all wrong that we deserve to be here, because this team has got what it takes and we've proven that all year long. I guess we have to do that for 10 more races and prove them wrong a little bit more."

Qualifying second was Brad Keselowski, who dubbed it "the week of teammates" and said Logano made a statement in bumping him off the top spot late in the session.

"There is a lot of adversity as drivers you face all the time," said Keselowski, who is only the second defending series champion to miss the Chase (joining Tony Stewart in 2006). "Some of it is in the media, but running well against the best competition in the world that competes in Sprint Cup is always an accomplishment, whether there is off-the-track drama or not. You have to be able to fight through that to be successful at this level."

The adversity hasn't ended for NASCAR, which will meet with drivers, crew chiefs and team owners Saturday to discuss how to handle the policing of teammate ethics and team orders.

"Maybe qualifying third I could make the Chase too," Juan Pablo Montoya joked when asked about the meeting after tying a season-best starting spot of third. "I don't know. That's all I'm going to say. I don't know. I don't want to get involved. It's way above my head."

Chicagoland is the first of five 1.5-mile tracks in the Chase. It's been an excellent title barometer the past two seasons with Tony Stewart and Keselowski opening their championship campaigns with wins at the track 50 miles southwest of Chicago.

Logano believes he will be a factor, too.

"These 1.5-mile, 2-mile racetracks are where we've been our strongest throughout the years," he said. "We know these races. We really have to capitalize."